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queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore is book 3 in the Graceling Realm series. As much as I liked this book, it was so much darker than the previous two books. Definitely check content warnings before reading. Cashore has a fantastic way of world building slowly through a story. The way she's able to expand and follow different timelines and keep everything straight is a feat unto itself.
We follow Bitterblue 8 years after the events of Graceling and almost 49 years after the events in Fire. Bitterblue is now Queen of Monsea, but is kept sheltered and ignorant about her subjects and her queendom. As she learns how much she doesn't know, she discovers the lingering pain of Leck's influence has caused someone to kill truthseekers who want to know what happened during Leck's reign. Bitterblue finds the task of remembering and honoring the past and moving forward so as not to trigger people unnecessarily, to be almost insurmountable.
There is a lot of plot that happens in this book, as well as plot set up for the other books. I love the characters that Cashore creates! I loved seeing Po and Katsa again along with some new names, like Giddon (what a softie), and Death (pronounced to rhyme with teeth) the librarian who our curmudgeonly librarian with a Grace I wouldn't mind having. So much happened in this book, that I can't talk about it all without spoilers.
I love that Cashore makes it explicit in her books that women have the choice to not bear children. In Graceling, Katsa takes medicine that makes it so she will never be pregnant, and Bitterblue takes herbs to prevent pregnancy. She also gives a background sapphic couple and Achillean couple. Cashore also casually includes background characters with disabilities. She does acknowledge at the end of the book that she made a mistake writing Po losing his sight at the end of book one. She admits that she wasn't thinking about disability politics at the time and wasn't aware she was stumbling into "curing" Po's visual disability with his Grace, and apologizes for it.
So excited to get to Winterkeep and where Cashore will take us next!
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault
g_c_geeks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It was a really good continuation of Graceling and Fire and built upon what happened years later. I really enjoyed it.
I think about this world all the time and will have a place in my heart forever.
Keep in mind though that you find out some very dark and disturbing confirmation of what Leck has done.
I’m going to read Winterkeep (the fourth book in the series) for the first time and am very curious on what Cashore will continue to develop.
Graphic: Rape, Torture, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War
sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
This is definitely one of those kinds of books that could be difficult and even triggering for some people to read, so while this is definitely my favorite of the three so far, take your own past experiences into consideration when deciding whether to read this book.
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty
roseofphantom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Much better than "Fire". While it still isn't up there with "Graceling", I definitely enjoyed the story and characterizations more. It was nice to return to beloved characters, to see Bitterblue grown up and having taken on Queenly duties. Seeing her after Po and Katsa essentially raised her was a delight and she's definitely become a wonderful Queen. Her relationship with Saf felt real and natural. I also enjoyed the little bit of mystery as she investigates her father's doing and tries to clean up her Kingdom after his terrors.
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Animal cruelty
child sexual assaultbattybookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
This book, like it’s predecessors, discusses very dark topics. If you’ve read Graceling and Fire, this focuses heavily on the repercussions of decisions in those novels as well as what happened and happens after King Leck’s reign.cepbreed's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Song:
- Writer In the Dark - Lorde
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Minor: Confinement and War
nickthefailure's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Classism
merenguita's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think it's almost as good as graceling. It's beautiful to be able to encounter some of the same characters you loved on the first book years later and also get to know them once again.
It's a very fast pased book and pretty easy to read, i honestly would recomend it if you are in a readers block.
I would recomend to check out the trigger warnings because there are some really horrific and graphic scenes.
It was also refreshing to see some diversity in the cast, without it being the center of their character development.
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Torture
elle_dee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
alexander_pendragon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail